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Road To Eternal Life! Series
Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Oct 5, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: We see everyday that millions of people are dying around the world every second. Within the Christian faith, there is a lot of confusion regarding what happens after death.
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Some people claim death is final some claim life begins after death, some claim everyone is in sleep until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, some others believe that when some one dies instantly they are judged according to their fruits ,few others believe that they go to be with Christ immediately after death. Death is really a mysterious topic to be discussed.
Types of death: God says the wages of sin is DEATH not immortal life (Romans 6:23) but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). The scripture says that there are three types of death. When each person dies on this earth it’s called physical death, a separation of the spirit from the body is called second type of death which is called spiritual death (Isaiah 59:1-2)and the third type of death is called eternal death which is permanent separation of humanity from God (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
God told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate of the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 2:17). When Adam disobeyed God, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide from Lord God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8). Later, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5). The physical death has entered into the world with Adam's sin (Romans 5:12) affected all living things.
When a righteous man dies: Deaths of saints are precious in Gods eyes (Psalms 116:15). When a righteous man dies he enter into peace (Isaiah 57:2) and into eternal life(Matthew 25:46)and will fear no evil(Psalms 23:4), he has a hope in his death(Proverbs 14:32).
Few righteous man in bible are Abraham( Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age , an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. Isaac(Genesis 35:29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him) Moses(Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD) Jacob(Genesis 49:33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people).
When unrighteous man dies: God has no pleasure in the death of a wicked person but desires them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). (Ezekiel 18:32).The wicked and unrighteous man dies in their sins (John 8:21)without hope(Proverbs 11:7).Their death will be sudden and unexpected(Proverbs 29:1) and their remembrance shall perish from the earth(Job 18:17, Proverbs 10:7).
Eg. Of few unrighteous men in the bible are Herod, Judas Iscariot, and Jezebel
Types of heaven: The FIRST heaven is the atmosphere or sky that surrounds the earth.
The SECOND heaven is the physical universe that has stars, planets and so on.
The THIRD heaven is where God and his throne resides. Scriptures say that Jesus Christ went to the Third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) to prepare paradise for His Elect.
Elijah and Enoch are in heaven: scriptures say that the believer in Christ is escorted by angels at death to a place of peace .By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him. (Hebrews 11:5)
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24).
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a
Chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11)
John 3:13 says that no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Soul sleep is unbiblical: Death is described as sleep. There are many scriptures to say that people who die are conscious in Heaven. Jesus Christ said to his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep (John 11:11, 14). Stephen’s death is described as falling asleep (Acts 7:59). Paul describes Christians who had died in Thessalonica as “asleep” (1 Th 4:13). In the Old Testament, we are told that David “slept with his fathers” (1 Kings 2:10).
Ephesians 3:14-15: For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. There are many scriptures that Challenge the Concept of Soul Sleep such as Genesis 35:18 Luke 16:19-31,Luke 23:43,John 11:25-26 ,1 Peter 3:18-19 ,Revelation 6:9-10.
The soul leaves the body at death: The souls of the unrighteous go to a place of eternal torment until the Last Day and The souls of the righteous go to be with the Lord in Paradise (Phil 1:22, 2 Cor 5:6-8)